Game 238
Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 0
Thursday, November 27, 1947
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Montréal Canadiens snapped out of a slump at the expense of their arch rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, tonight. They whitewashed the world champions 2-0 with a brilliant brand of hockey.
Winless in their last five games, the Habitants looked like the mighty Canadiens of yore as they scored once in the first and once in the last period, backed up by a defence that was well-nigh impregnable.
Bill Durnan, the Habitant netminder, returned to action after suffering an eyebrow gash two games ago. He kicked out every one of the 14 shots the Leafs were able to make on goal. It was his third shutout of the campaign. Turk Broda, the Toronto netminder, had 22 shots to handle.
That bull-like rusher, Ken Reardon, gave the winners a 1-0 edge before a roaring police limit crowd of 11,115 in the ancient Forum. when he came rushing in from the side during a mixup around the Leaf nets and pushed a loose puck past Turk Broda. Bad clearing on the part of the Leafs paved the way for the counter, less than two minutes before the end of the period.
The second counter enabled Rocket Richard to pass Leaf Syl Apps in the National League point-getting race, although he didn’t score it.
It came just 55 seconds after the final frame began when the old lamplighter, Toe Blake, beat Broda on a waist-high drive from 20 feet out. Elmer Lach made the play, passing to Richard, who passed to Blake in front of the net.
Richard’s assist on the play gave him 21 points, to 20 for Apps, as two of the greatest forwards in the game continued their rivalry.
Just after the halfway mark of the last period, Richard was given a minor for elbowing Ezinicki and charging him into the boards. He went off in a huff, said something to referee Bill Chadwick, and got a 10 minute misconduct penalty for his pains. He was still in penitence when the game ended.
Coach Dick Irvin inserted some kind of would-be strategy or caution into the game when he sent Richard and Lach out wearing small, plastic helmets that looked something like skull caps. The two wore them throughout the game, the only players to do so.
Ezinicki, who handed out a few bumps in the heavy going, was subjected to some boos from the second period on, and the cries became loud indeed when he was given a penalty on a charge of high sticking Bob Carse in the second period.
Mortson followed him for charging Lach, and for 15 seconds the Leafs were in hot water while playing two men short. But they held.
The tilt marked the second triumph by the Canucks over the Leafs this season. The Leafs have won one in Toronto and lost two here, both by shutouts, 3-0 and 2-0.
Although typical of the roaring battles between the rivals, tonight’s game wasn’t as bitter as some. There was nary a display of fisticuffs, but the Habs, led by surly burly Butch Bouchard and Reardon, had an edge in the bumping department, and the checking was close all the way.
The Leafs left immediately after the game for home, where they tackle the Canadiens again Saturday night.
NOTES: The only serious sign of trouble came near the end of the first period, when Ted Kennedy and rearguard Doug Harvey engaged in a pushing bee behind the Habitant net. Bouchard rushed in as he always does, stick shoulder high, and was followed by little Howie Meeker. No blows were struck…The Leafs’ best fighting line was that of Kennedy, Meeker and Vic Lynn, although their aim around the nets was terrible…Nick Metz suffered a cut on his left leg, requiring two stitches during a scramble near game’s end…Max Bentley skated miles, back-checked fiercely, and had a couple of good shots on Durnan…The Leafs deviated from their rearguard rotation policy by using all five defencemen. Bill Barilko had been due to sit this one out.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, November 28, 1947
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 04:21 – Reardon, charging
MTL PEN – 08:26 – Reardon, tripping
MTL GOAL – 18:26 – Reardon
2nd Period
TOR PEN – 06:40 – Thomson, tripping
TOR PEN – 10:00 – Ezinicki, high sticking
TOR PEN – 11:37 – Mortson, charging
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 00:55 – Blake (Richard, Lach)
MTL PEN – 12:44 – Richard, elbowing + misconduct
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Durnan (W + SO, 14-14)
TOR – Broda (L, 20-22)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Bill Durnan. Defence: Butch Bouchard, Glen Harmon, Doug Harvey, Ken Reardon. Forwards: Toe Blake (C), Bob Carse, Léo Gravelle, Elmer Lach, Jacques Locas, Murdo MacKay, Jimmy Peters, John Quilty, Billy Reay, Maurice Richard, Rip Riopelle.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Bill Barilko, Garth Boesch, Gus Mortson, Wally Stanowski, Jimmy Thomson. Forwards: Syl Apps (C), Max Bentley, Bill Ezinicki, Ted Kennedy, Joe Klukay, Vic Lynn, Howie Meeker, Don Metz, Nick Metz, Harry Watson.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 7-7-2 (.500)
TOR – 8-6-2 (.563)
Two Solitudes 